Stauning Heather Distillery Edition 2017/2021
While other countries are still debating whether they can distil whisky at all, the Danes are simply marching through and demanding premium prices for their Danish whiskies. And you know what? They have the courage to do it. At 47.80% vol. and without an age statement, this Danish whisky presents itself like a rebellious teenager: young, untamed and damn self-confident. Incidentally, the Heather Edition does not mean that heather has been thrown into the barrel here (although that would come as no surprise with the Danes), but that this whisky is intended to capture the rough, windswept landscape of Denmark in the glass.
Tasting Notes
Nose
Smoke breaks through like a Viking kicking in the front door. But wait! This is no ordinary peat smoke, but an interesting herbal smoke reminiscent of mate tea. Yes, you read that right - this whisky smells like the quintessential hipster drink. Caramel and malt join in before a note of furniture polish grounds everything down again. Danish design - even the whisky smells of designer furniture.
Palate
Ice-cold, almost refreshing smoke lingers on the tongue - as if you were standing by the sea on a winter's morning and sipping from a campfire at the same time. It envelops the palate as voluminously as a Viking beard. Mate tea is back (the Danes must have an obsession), followed by cherries and burnt bread. Then comes the memory of a burnt campfire days ago - melancholic and somehow poetic. Baked apple provides cosiness, while the creamy texture holds everything together.
Finish
The long, smoky finish shows that serious work has been done here despite the lack of an age statement. Slightly dry with hints of spicy oak - exactly how you would imagine the end of a Danish whisky saga.
Thoughts
Marcel 80/100
This Stauning Heather is like a wild ride through the Danish coastal landscape – rough, untamed, and packed with plenty of character. For the price, you can afford to be a bit rebellious, even if it won’t win over everyone immediately. Still, if you’re craving an unusual peat smoke with a hint of hipster flair, this one will definitely make you happy.
Sascha 82/100
The Heather Edition from Stauning impresses with a well-balanced blend of smoky, herbal notes and a creamy texture that supports its complex structure. Despite lacking an age statement, it reveals a layered depth that at least justifies the premium price from a flavor perspective – although the value for money remains debatable.
Value for Money: Very expensive
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Why does the Stauning Heather Distillery Edition have no age statement, and how does that affect the taste?
The Stauning Heather Distillery Edition deliberately omits an age statement to allow greater flexibility in cask selection. This enables the distillery to blend different vintages to achieve the signature smoky and herbal flavor profile without being tied to a specific age.
What does the name 'Heather' mean for this whisky if no heather is used?
'Heather' in the name doesn’t refer to an ingredient but rather to the inspiration drawn from Denmark’s rugged, wind-swept landscape, which the whisky aims to capture sensorially. It’s about evoking the feeling and atmosphere of Danish nature, not about adding heather.
What role does the mate tea aroma play in the Stauning Heather Distillery Edition and how does it develop?
The mate tea aroma is an unusual but defining note in this whisky. It arises from the combination of special peat and herbal aromas during malting and maturation. This nuance gives the whisky a fresh, slightly bitter complexity that sets it apart from classic peat-smoked whiskies.